Lawn sprinkler



March 23, 1954 W Q WEHNER 2,673,122

LAWN SPRINKLER Filed April 19, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1954 w. c. WEHNER LAWN SPRINKLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2;

Filed April 19, 1951 o r L mm 0 NM o mw p/r N l IC. #GA m l www March 23, 1954 w. c. WEHNER LAWN SPRINKLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19, 1951 Patented Mar. 23, `1954 UNITED STATES iiATENT OFFICE 2,673,122I

LAWN SPRINKLER:` William C. Wehner, Grosse Pointe, Mich. Application:` April .19, 1951, Serial No. 221,791

1 Claims.

'Ilhis inventionl relates to an improved lawn sprinkler.

`Aniobjectis to is of.simple and rugged construction and which comprisesa spray headlexhibiting a row of water bodyand which .motor is socoupled with the head as to oscillate the head. but the head may be held against. oscillationwithout stopping the motor.`

It.v is. frequently `desirable to` move a lawn sprinkler from one place to.. another without shuttingJ off the water supply thereto and this sprinkleris so constructed that such may be done. Thedriving connection between the water motor and thesprinkler headwhereby the head` is oscillated. in` response to the. rotation of the impeller. or rotor of the. motor.. is. such that while the. head` is. normally. oscillated in. response to impeller the head may be grasped by, an .attendant Aandheld tltedto. one side.. of its oscillatory swing: while permitting the. impeller to. continue torun.

More` specifically, thereis a yielding coupling` Wthinthe drive4 between the impeller and theoscillating head whichnormally oscillates the head butwhich will yield. when the head isheld stawater received. within. the, water chamber and the water willcontinue to. be discharged from the head but. directed outwardly in the direction in which the .head is` pointed.

Another object is the provision of a lawn sprinkler of the character described wherein the sprinkler is providedr with a body builtup out of two cupfshaped portions secured 'cooperatively together to denne an interior separated into a water chamber portion and a gear chamber porprovision of a. lawn set fbrth wherein the provide a lawn sprinkler which 21 sprinkler` head isformed by al water. pipefbui-ltf into. agenerally V4 or U shape. U pipe is straight and is journaledwithinithefbody of the-sprinkler for oscillation;inresponse tothe. rotation of the impeller. The end of suclrleg;n is open to the waterchamber side of the interior; of. the body.. to receive water provided with a; series.

pipe projectup-` dome-shaped `element as; it` projects outwardly and downwardly from the arcuate portion of the pipe provides hand, grip. portions which may beA grasped to holdithe head tilted to one side of its swing...

The impeller isJ ci an improved character whereby the vanesthat are. struck-by the water. stream are disposed between a pair ofside plates so. that the stream is coni-ined and the maximum. power is developed.`

Thatv portion of the spray head water pipe. which4 is journaled within the body is provided,- with packing which maintains a tight seal and which is designed to facilitate rotation while tightly sealing the pipe against leakage.

Other objects, advantages andmeritorious fea@ tures` will more fully. appear from the following.v description, claims and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Eig. lis a vertical sectional View.` takeny onthe line l-I of. Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation taken atan angle of with respect` to View of Fig. 1 and partly broken away to show driving mechanism. Within the interior of the body;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical section. taken, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary angular section taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of parts mounted on the sprinkler head water tube Which constitute part. ofthe drive mechanism and being. the` con.- struction.. shown in Figs. land 2j;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken from the One leg of; the,l

therefrom. The-other: legv of the pipe is bent into an arcuateV shapetoportion of the pipe.

same plane as Fig. 2 but showing a modied form of drive mechanism as compared with Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

The sprinkler is shown as embodying the base I which supports a body I2 by means of a stud screw I4 extending upwardly through the base and through a washer I6 Within the base and into the body, all as shown in Fig. 1. The washer serves to distribute the thrust if one picks up the sprinkler from the dome or applies a pressure which is distributed to the base.

The body I2 of the sprinkler is formed of two cup-shaped portions I8 and 20. The portion 20 is a casting which is formed to provide a cupshaped part 22 which serves as a gear chamber portion. Such portion also denes a water inlet 24 which has a nipple 26 press-fitted thereinto. Within the nipple 26 is a screen 28. hose coupling 30 is rotatably journaled upon the nipple. This hose coupling is interiorly threaded and carries a packing ring 32. The inner end of the water inlet terminates in a jet 3d adapted to direct a stream of water against a rotor or impeller 36. This rotor has a pair of side plates between which the vanes are mounted so that the full force of the stream of water is utilized and suflicient power is developed with the small size impeller shown. The impeller is fixed upon a sleeve 3B. This sleeve is journaled upon a fixed shaft 40. The sleeve is not shown as extending entirely through the impeller, but the outer end of the sleeve opening in the impeller is closed by a plug 42.

The interior of the body between the two cupshaped portions I8 and 20 is separated into two chambers by a partition wall Lid. The cupshaped portion I8 is shown as having a margin 46 shaped to overhang the margin of the portion 20 and a gasket 66 is interposed between these marginal portions of the two cup-shaped elements and such elements themselves are secured together by stud screws 50 as shown in Fig. 2.

The spray head comprises a water pipe element which has one end 52 journaled within the casting portion 20 of the body as shown in Fig. l. 54 indicates a bushing which may be formed of nylon or the like in the form of a flat sheet bent about the bearing portion of the pipe. The end of the pipe extends into the interior of the body and opens into the water chamber portion as shown to receive water therefrom. A lug 56 Ais secured to the pipe to afford a positive stop to its inward extension. The pipe extends outwardly away from the body and is bent into an arcuate shape providing an arcuate portion 58 which arcuate portion is disposed in the same plane as the journaled portion of the pipe, but overhangs the body as illustrated in Fig. l. This arcuate portion of the pipe is fitted with a plurality of spray nozzle jets 60 disposed in line as shown.

The spray head portion further comprises a generally heini-spherical dome-shaped element 672. This dome 62 is cut away to provide a diametrical slot 64 which overhangs the arcuate portion 58 of the pipe and through which the nozzles 60 extend as shown.

The outer end of the arcuate portion 58 of the pipe is closed by a plug 50 threaded thereinto as shown in Fig. l. This plug depends a substantial distance in the form of a weighted portion 6B which is disposed below the journaled support of the end 52 of the pipe, all as shown in Fig. l. This weighted portion constitutes a counterbalance which serves to maintain the upper arcuate portion of the pipe in its upright position. This plug may also be removed for cleaning the arcuate portion of the pipe.

The spray head is adapted to be oscillated in response to the rotation of the impeller and throughout a determined swing as provided by the driving mechanismwhich connects the impeller with the spray head. There is provided, however, positive stops to afford limits to this swing in the form of a part 'I0 shown in Fig. 2 as secured by two of the screws 50 to the body. This part 'I0 has outwardly turned ends 12 which are disposed in the line of swing of the arcuate portion 56 of the pipe as shown in Fig. 2.

The driving mechanism which couples the impeller with the spray head to oscillate the same includes a worm gear 14 formed on the sleeve 36 upon which sleeve the impeller is rlxed. This worm gear 'I4 drives a rotatably supported gear 'i6 which gear 'I6 has a vertical hub provided with a worm 'i8 which worm in turn drives a gear 80. The gear 60 is Xed to a sleeve 82 which sleeve is journaled upon a xed shaft 84.

This sleeve extends rotatably through the partition d4 and on its outer end is iixed a crank arm 66 to rotate with the sleeve. The sleeve is, of course, driven through the train of gears 14, 56, 'ES and 86 heretofore described as located within the gear chamber.

This crank arm 86 is connected by link 88 with the driven arm 90 which arm 90 is iournaled upon the end 52 of the water pipe that projects into the water chamber, all as shown arm 90 is shown in its specific form in Fig. 5. It has a crown portion 92 which is received over the pipe 52 and a coil spring element 94 is adapted to be sleeved over the pipe 52 as shown in Fig. l. The two ends of the spring element indicated as 95 are spaced apart and bracket the crown portion 92 on the arm 90 as shown in Fig. 1.

The end of the pipe 52 is provided with slots 98 and a clip arm |00 is slotted as at |02 to be received within the slots 98 to secure the clip arm to the pipe to oscillate therewith. The clip arm has a lug part |04 which is adapted to overhang the crown 92 of the arm 90 and 'be disposed between the ends 96 of the spring so that through the spring ends 96 the arm 90 'which is freely journaled on the pipe 52 is held yieldingly to the arm-like clip |00 so that normally the arm |00 and the arm 90 oscillate as one piece. I the spray head is grasped and held against oscillation while the impeller is rotating the ends 96 of the spring may spread apart through the resiliency provided in the coil portion 94 of the spring and will spread sufnciently to permit the arm 92 to continue to oscillate in response to the rotation of the impeller but without producing any oscillation of the arm |00 or the pipe 52.

There is mounted upon the pipe 52 a packing ring |06 which may be formed of neoprene or other suitable material. This packing ring as shown is received in part Within a recess in a portion of the arm 90. A bearing washer |08 which may be formed of nylon or the like is shown as bearing against the packing washer and taking the thrust thereof. There will be an endwise thrust against the pipe 52 due to the Water pressure within the water chamber and this is taken by the washer |08.

in Fig. l. This` in the impeller4 36, '(8, 30, sleeve 82 lisation shown in Figs. l through 4.

What I claim is:

1. A lawn sprinkler having a body defining a water chamber provided with a Water inlet, an

continued reciprocation of the link.

2. A lawn sprinkler comprising a body dening water inlet, an

stationary.

5. A lawn sprinkler comprising a body dening a water chamber provided with a Water inlet, an

municating with said water chamber, said spray head comprising a dome-shaped element having References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

